Despite the arrival of a military contingent of 300 troops at the border with Chile, Defense Minister Jorge Chávez denied this Friday that the area will be “militarized” and stressed that he will respect a binational agreement for the Armed Forces to keep at least one hundred meters from the border area.
The troops arrived in the morning to support the work of the National Police (PNP) and stationed themselves near the Santa Rosa Border Complex, very close to where dozens of migrants trying to enter Peruvian territory remain.
The migration crisis erupted after the Chilean Congress approved two laws that allow the detention of irregular migrants and extend the detention period to manage their expulsion.
“It has been said that the presence of the Armed Forces means militarizing the area, (but) I rule it out outright. The contact that the migrants will have in the border area is directly with the Police,” Chávez said in dialogue with the press.
“The military will support surveillance work in those critical and sensitive points where illegal entry is being evidenced,” he continued.
Chávez reported that the commanding general of the Third Brigade of Tacna has already contacted his counterpart from the Chilean Armed Forces and “unrestricted compliance with this regulation has been established” regarding the location of the military on both sides of the border.
He announced that the possible opening of a humanitarian corridor is being contemplated, “which can be land or air”, but said that “there is a fundamental and important factor, which is the intervention of the countries from which the citizens originate.”
“We can do nothing if we do not coordinate and have the approval, in this case, of Venezuela, to allow the return of its citizens,” he said.
For his part, the head of the Interior, Vincent Romerospecified earlier that there are at least 390 police officers, both from the special units in Lima, as well as in Arequipa and Tacna, who are “on the front line” at critical points.
He also remarked that, “in no way”, has the military been authorized to use their regulation weapons.
In recent days, hundreds of Haitians, Venezuelans and citizens of other countries have been stranded after leaving Chili and after the latter country tightened immigration controls.
Peru prevents their passage claiming that they do not have a stamped passport and valid visa. Several migrants assure that they only intend to cross Peruvian territory towards their countries of origin.
